Farmers urged to back down over digester
TOMBRACK farmers Malcolm and Melvin Rothwell came under pressure to back down from a plan to build anaerobic digesters on their land in Tombrack at a public information meeting which they hosted in Tombrack Hall.
The Rothwells have been granted planning permission by Wexford County Council to erect two anaerobic digesters and associated site works on their farms at Moneydurtlow but local residents are opposed to the development, saying they didn’t object during the planning process because they weren’t aware of the planning applications as the required public notice appeared in the Irish Daily Star which has a small circulation in the area.
A staff member from engineering firm ORS attended the meeting and gave a power point presentation on the operation of an anaerobic digester although many locals were already familiar with the information from an earlier meeting organised by Tombrack Community Action Group.
Members of the Action Group are against the project because they fear it will amount to an industrial-style development in a small rural area where the roads are inadequate to deal with heavy traffic transporting organic matter to the proposed digesters. They believe there should have been public consultation on the development.
Mr. Malcolm Rothwell and the Ors representative came under fire when the presentation ended with questions coming hard and fast from neighbouring landowners and residents in the area who appeared to be very knowledgeable about the workings of anaerobic digesters which produce alternative energy from waste matter.
In response, the Rothwells have agreed to hold a further meeting in mid-June to update people on their decision.